X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy of the Actinides

A molecular level understanding of this diverse chemistry is necessary if predictive modeling of the fate and transport of these biohazardous ions is to be attained. Synchrotron studies are rapidly becoming a workhorse in the effort to chemically characterize 5f, actinide pollutants, their speciation, and their complexation at a molecular level. Synchrotrons are proving ideal for the task for several reasons: (1) they provide a high flux of tunable, high-energy radiation; (2) highly focused beams allow for small (<1 mg) sample sizes; (3) the energy range permits excitation of the M- and L-adsorption edges of the actinides; (4) the penetrating nature of X-rays allows sample encapsulation and containment; and (5) a wide variety of spectroscopy, scattering, and imaging experiments are available.